2013 Summer Bargaining School – Bargainopoly II

This week I was fortunate to be part of the SRTA team at Bargainopoly II, the MTS summer bargaining school that took place at the beautiful Elkhorn Resort. Along with Sandy Turcotte, principal at Ecole Ile des Chenes school and member of the SRTA Collective Bargaining committee, we heard presentations on how to prepare before going into collective bargaining negotiations, as well as an indepth presentation on the interest arbitration process.

The major focus during the three day seminar was a simulated negotiation guided by MTS staff officers but conducted by MTS members from associations across the province. This proved to be a worthwhile and, at times, eye-opening exercise in understanding what it means to negotiate for the welfare of our association members.

We will have information for our members at our first council meeting in September, because it’s important that all of us in the SRTA are knowledgeable about what we have in our current Collective Bargaining agreement (available to view here) and that we all understand how the current CBA came to be. Be sure to ask your reps about what’s happening in regards to collective bargaining as the year goes on and we move towards the end of our current agreement, and be sure to check our website for more information as things progress.